Oral History with Jae de la Mora, March 8, 2021 (Ms2021-023)

Jessica Taylor: Hello. Today is March 8th, 2021. It's a Monday. My name is

Jessica Taylor. I'm interviewing Jae-Jae de la Mora for the Voces Oral History

Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Please know Ms. de la Mora that

this recorded interview will be placed in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American

Collection at UT Austin, and it may be available online via YouTube or a similar

platform. If there's anything you do not wish to answer or talk about,

especially given that your recording may appear online, I will honor your

wishes. Also, if there's something you want to talk about, please bring it up

and we'll talk about it. Because we are not conducting this interview in person.

I need to record you consenting. So, I'll ask you a series of five questions.

Please say "yes, I agree" or "no, I do not agree" after each one. There are

three questions we need to make sure you agree to before we go on. 00:01:00Voces' wishes

to archive your interview along with any other photographs or documentation at

the Benson Library at UT Austin. You will retain the copyright of the interview

and any other materials you donate to Voces. Number one: Do you give Voces

consent to archive your interview and your materials at the Benson library?

Ma'am? I think it's frozen. Jae? Oh, no. [whispering] Ah shoot.

Jae de la Mora: I'm sorry. [laughter]

Jessica: It's 00:02:00 okay.

Jae: I didn't even know what happen. I didn't even know what happened. [laughter]

Jessica: That's okay. It's alright. Can you see me?

Jae: I can see you and I'm rejoined. I don't know what happened.

Jessica: It said you had bad signal.

Jae: Um you just went like this [inaudible] and then didn't move and then I

didn't know what happened. [laughter]

Jessica: Um I'm going to just did you hear what I had asked?

Jae: Yeah. That I want to answer a couple of questions and because we're not in

person, I have to be clear and say "yes, I agree."

Jessica: Yeah. Okay. So here's the first one: Do you give Voces as consent to

archive your interview and your materials at the Benson library?

Jae: Yes.

Jessica: Okay.

Jae: I agree.

Jessica: Do you grant Voces copyright over the interview and any material you provide?

Jae: Yes, I agree.

Jessica: Do you agree to allow us to post this interview on the internet where

it may be viewed by people around the world? [laughter] 00:03:00Jae: Yes, I agree.

Jessica: Um we have many questions and a pre-interview form [laughter] that

you've already filled out. We use that information from the pre-interview form

to help in research. The entire form is in a secure Voces server. Before we send

it to the Benson, we would have stripped out any contact information for

yourself or family members. So that will not be part of your public file.

Jae: [Sigh] Okay, then we're fine.

Jessica: Well hold on. There's more wait.

Jae: Okay I wait.

Jessica: Okay. [Laughter] Your public file will only be accessible at the Benson

Library. Do you wish for us to share the rest of your interview in your public

fi- file available to researchers at the Benson?

Jae: Yes, I agree.

Jessica: Okay. On occasion Voces receives requests from journalists who wish to

contact our interview subjects. We only deal with legitimate news outlets. Do

you give consent for us to share your phone numbers or your email with journalists? 00:04:00Jae: Do I get to pick? Can it be be like just email?

Jessica: Um you want to say just email?

Jae: Yes.

Jessica: Okay. I will um I will make a note of that and send it to the to the guy.

Jae: Thank you.

Jessica: Yeah. Here. Let me um- let me write that down. Alright um so uh let's

let's go ahead and um get started then. Um so can you tell me a little bit just

generally about your experiences with COVID-19?

Jae: Well, I-I am Mexican and last year I was in the process of getting my green

card. So that means a lot of last phase documentation and I did a lot 00:05:00 of

traveling to Norfolk and Richmond. And all this happen around the end of

February and the beginning of March. I'm talking about like probably twice a

week I have to go to Norfolk or Richmond So I was really everywhere and also

immigration doctors which were down in Martinsville. Yes Martinsville, somewhere

around there. I don't remember. And um I had heard about COVID and COVID was

already in the United States. But I was the only nut bag ready with the hand

sanitizer and the mask. Nobody else was concerned or anything else. And and then

uh my last trip I came back around March. It was March twelfth or something. And

I started getting sick. Like within one night I had flu symptoms. I mean I went

from zero to a hundred. So I was like, 00:06:00uh-huh. And I started contacting the

health department here, the hotline, and it was a voicemail [chuckle]. And I it

was like about for three days that happened. And so then I started contacting I

mean, I tried the NIH, I tried everything. And it was just hours and hours of

waiting. And then when I finally will get through something It was a recording,

hotlines... I even called the CDC and it was a hotline as well. I called the

hospital here in Radford Carilion. And they will put me through into the ER. And

then after waiting for like an hour, it will hang up the phone or send me to a

voicemail. So after three days, of feeling worse and worse, and you know I'm a

single mom of two, I'm worried. I don't know like what's happening. 00:07:00And I-I was

deteriorating fast. So I-I messaged the mayor on-on Facebook, you know, David

Horton. And he was like we, you know, this is a new kind of thing. We don't know

what's happening. We don't even have proper procedure. And we're being flooded

by all kinds of questions from everywhere. So uh let's try the police. And I

messaged the police, the Radford police through Messenger and I was like "Nobody

can answer. What what do I do? Do I go out? Do I- Do I I just have the flu?" I

mean I had the-the vaccination and I know you can get the flu even with

vaccination. But I mean, I was at the worst point where I've had the flu without

vaccination in three days. So they say, okay, call the EMS because they tell

they told me to call the health department 00:08:00then Carilion and everything that I

have already done. So I called the fire station and they were like "well, we can

take you to the hospital. We can come check you." And, you know, I said "I can

go." I mean, I don't need to waste money or nobody else's time and I don't want

to expose anyone unnecessarily. So I went the next day in the morning with the

kids. Like everybody with masks I got, you know, they were they were people

outside of the ER. And um once I got in there, the nurse refused to give me a

test. She told me that I could sit the whole day in the ER. But that the tests

were were going to be given just to really sick people. And people in the ER and

ER was empty like I walked in and there was not even one person and they made us

wait and all of this with the nurse. It was another hour and a half that I was 00:09:00with her when I came back out. The ER was still empty So like all the throngs of

people that we're going to need the tests. I don't know where they were. So she

thought that me being in every single hotspot that had already the virus in

federal buildings. with lots of immigrants and attorneys, that came from all

over the state, uh through the last three weeks. Didn't warrant for tests. So I

came back home and then I proceeded to be sick for the next month. Um I made

like a little trash thing out of my house because I did not want to infect my

children. And they had the sniffles, but I have like I had about ten days of 104

fever, all while coughing. And then I had it was until about twenty- twenty-five

days of 00:10:00coughing. Ferociously coughing, like sometimes not making to the

bathroom coughing. Like it was horrible. I haven't ever had spasms in my abs. I

didn't know I had abs. You know? It was just an and so I didn't know if a had it

or not. But by the symptoms and all the shelf after effects that I've had

through the months afterwards, everybody believes that I had COVID and I took

the precau-precautions that I don't know my instincts or like human decency told

me to. So from the moment I came back that day from the ER we quarantined and

I've ordered online at Walmart, I had a sign on my door that we're quarantining.

Um I don't know things that I assume I was supposed to do and do my part as a

human being. Even though I was really sick and, 00:11:00you know, as a single mom, my

children, depending on me. Thank goodness because we've struggled financially.

So I'm the type of person that buys every month uh toilet paper a little bit and

a little bit of canned food or so I didn't need anything while I was sick, but I

never foresee to be sick. So I didn't have prepared food, you know, while I was

laying down. So that was a bit of a challenge, asking for help and allowing

people to shop because I wanted no one in my home. I mean in good conscience I-I

couldn't say "well, I don't know. They didn't test me. Yes. Come on over, help

me." So and I-I didn't know how contagious this was, so I didn't even want

people on my porch. Like when I knew I had something delivered, I would like I

was really exhausted, so I would sit myself in my in my office chair that has

wheels. I wheel myself to the door. and then in the door I will try to spray

with 00:12:00bleach or whatever. So everybody was safe So that was like the first month

and a half with COVID and and having my kids. It was it was challenging. I'm not

going to lie was it was really challenging. Challenging for her for I for both

of them because I-I got um shower curtains. I hung them everywhere separating

each room. And I move the kids right outside my bedroom, which is my the living

room. So they could be near me, but we could be separated because the poor

things they will come to my door and say "Mommy, can we have a hug?" And of

course I wouldn't give them a hug, but I didn't want them dead or really sick.

So I'm a little [inaudible] that no matter why [inaudible] and as soon as I

would take a shower I go see them cook. uh how much I love them, you know?

Coughing or something. I will go 00:13:00back to my room and we wore masks. We wore like

I don't know. I made up my own triage and little clinic in here to try to keep

everybody safe and my children were my first concern and, you know, the nurse's

words still ringing in my ear saying "Well, children don't get it. You have

nothing to worry about." She was so nonchalant. So I don't know. I mean, the

only thing she told me was like if I couldn't breathe and I needed it to be put

on a ventilator to call 911 uh but call the ER ahead of time. So like I've been

calling and so then she went off and she was like "well its people like you that

keep clogging the lines." So it was like okay. And through all this, I mean, I

messaged the mayor to let them know what was what was happening. He was

appalled. I mean, he was like he was 00:14:00appalled and uh he was very nice. I am not

a fan of his. And he was like "what do you need? Do I send uh take out food to

your house?" I mean him and plenty of others were communicating with me and

making sure that I was, you know, I had contact with outside world or checking

in on me. So that made it bearable, but it was a very scary and isolating

experience and by accident I was able to connect with several residents of the

town that went through exactly the same thing sadly. Uh so and three of them

were students who went back home sick. And they were tested back home and they

all tested positive. So they did all the traveling and all that, you know? It

was it was very scary. I was very resentful and angry for a while [chuckle] But

I 00:15:00did my part and I think that's the best thing you can do when you don't like

somebody's response, you just do the best you can and you do the right thing. So

that's what we did. So we've masked, we've hand sanitizers. Now that we have

more strains. We double mask. My kids are they only nuts that go to school with

double mask, but I don't care. So that has been my experience um... My other

experience, we have been trying to drop off food at the local pantry constantly.

At least every time that I order groceries, I order extra. And we'll put a drop

off that stock. We check on the neighbors. Um I used to volunteer here, at the

Asylum Seekers in Floyd. But uh I started having medical issues and then still

working I-I just started being afraid of 00:16:00having contact. So I sort of scale back

my involvement to just English classes that were outside. And then one of the

volunteers tested positive. So then I-I we were- got all scared. It was like

massive panic for Tera for me, for my children, for all volunteers for the

asylum seekers themselves. So after that they didn't do more English classes and

I sort of had to scale back because I started having uh medical issues that

nobody knew what was happening. But it was similar symptoms that everybody else,

which is inflammation of the pancreas and scarring in the lungs. I have issues

with my heart rate, even though I don't have high blood pressure. I have issues

with my glucose, even though I'm not diabetic like even by my doctor's words, it

was it was it will be easier. We had high blood pressure and diabetes, because I

would know how to treat you. 00:17:00So suddenly I found myself calling 911 because I

was having chest problems and having low blood pressure or high heart rate and

just no medical diagnosis but really scary symptoms and um and huge medical

bills because there's not a record of me having COVID-19 test. So my insurance

is like well, you're just going for fun. So that that experience, that little

experience in Carilion has had a lot of aftermath. Uh but on the other side of

me and my children, I have had a blast. We were so resistant to go back to

school because I don't know. I mean sometimes we would do school next to the

river, sometimes in the playground, sometimes at Radford Coffee Company at seven

in the 00:18:00morning. Uh we've traveled all over, just camping, hiking, everywhere

that is not like there is no people. My son the other day, he said that he was

really grateful for COVID-19. He say he said it's a tragedy that people are

dying. What I think families are together all the time and I realize that that

is really not everybody's experience at all. But I was very glad him and my

daughter had that. I said okay. At least they don't feel like their mom went

crazy or or neurotic or completely afraid. And I I feel like I'm very

transparent and I gave my children doses of reality adapted to their little

minds as to not scared them. So they know, they know how COVID has politicized,

you know? We we scream prayed 00:19:00cried after November sixth for two weeks and then

we scream and holler and threw a Fourth of July style party when we received the

results. And and so I'm very grateful that they, their takeaway of COVID has

been that. I mean we still meet friends. I mean I've had many driveway visitors.

And the time when the time is to say goodbye. We all cry. I haven't had yet a

friend that doesn't say goodbye and we don't cry when they leave, you know? We

were like like, uh I want to hug you. Uh I want to hug you. But it has been very

it has been a blessing to have like-minded friends that don't make it more

difficult or then put us in a situation where we have to make a choice to cut

relationships just because they're not adhering to science. 00:20:00Um I have been try

trying to, whenever I see posts about COVID in groups, I tried to translate them

to anyone that doesn't speak Spanish. I cannot imagine as someone who

experienced what I believe was COVID, in the early stages, and experienced a lot

of isolation because of one nurse's ignorance. I can't imagine how scary would

it be facing all the information that we've had, all the misinformation that we

had, all the threads, all of the helpful advice in another language. Like it it

just it makes me tear up just thinking about it. And um so I'm trying to be

vigilant about it. And if anybody reaches out or needs help, like I probably say

yes most of the time. 00:21:00I mean I've had families show up here, my porch, you know,

like, we don't have anywhere to go. And while I'm struggling with my health,

afraid of COVID. And it has been very interesting and but it has been to show

also the resilience of many others who are willing to help. So that's basically

how I've experienced COVID.

Jessica: Um of the things that I was going to ask you about is been how you

build those networks in such a short amount of time? Like since you have like

had to, like especially traveling so much before the pandemic, and like having

to sort out your own business. Like who, who are the people that are dropping

off food at your house? And like who are the people that you're helping when you

show up?

Jae: Well, we moved from McCoy in 2015 leaving that violent relationship and 00:22:00Radford has been our haven. I mean, I lived in a woman shelter for five months

because I did not have a social security number and there was no where to find

help even though both of my kids are citizens. There was no housing for them, no

food stamps for them, nothing for them because of me. So after living five-year

five months in there, uh we moved to their transitional housing program for two

years. And I started taking care of my situation there, like uh thank goodness

we find resources in Northern Virginia to help me straighten that out because of

what we were going through I qualified. So in the meantime, I had to build

relationship here. I mean I will everyone that I had in Blacksburg... people get

very, very scared when things explode in a family. So they were not necessarily

on his side, 00:23:00but everyone disappeared. So um here we were the people that had

police escort to school or they had police escorted the school bus or had caused

a lockdown. So [chuckle] we weren't exactly magnetic friends here. But the the

few that were not scared. Uh I don't know. When you form relationships through

fire, they are very strong. Plus I'm I'm in recovery. I'm in recovery for twelve

years. So several friends from the meetings that I used to go stayed in contact.

Mostly women that have gone through the same thing. And after having so much

involvement with the Women's Resource Center here, some of the people that were

staff or therapists have become friends. 00:24:00And being Radford is just I mean, you

wrote the type of relationships where I cannot go pick up my son from school, a

teacher will bring him home. Uh I don't ha- I cannot make soccer or whatever,

the owner of the gym where my kids took jiu jitsu will take them to soccer. I

mean it's it's Radford I have found in Radford a haven of... there is definitely

no wealth in Radford, but there's a lot of will. Other will to help to love even

when you're not the nicest person, the kindest person. is like "okay going we're

going to help you." And and and um so that's how I build my relationships here

and in in Radford though I also used to volunteer when I lived in McCoy. So some

of those relationships, you know, they move you through the New River Valley. So

I kept those relationships. It was [inaudible] and I 00:25:00see [inaudible] a section

[inaudible] [inaudible] from one [inaudible] but um That's what you need to do.

You know sometimes you're helping those who need to be helped and there is no

shame it, you know, in any kind of way. So that's how I build my networks. And

people come in here asking for help um as much as I'm grateful to certain

organization that have helped me. They don't- they are not- some of them very

kind when it comes to foreigners. Uh and even so even in the ranks, there is

allies. There's always allies. So sort of in the down low, I will be put in 00:26:00contact with these people like can you help can you do something about it to

somebody else? And well the majority of my friends are why they're raisins in

the milk, you know? Always, everywhere. But um little by little you start

getting to know people and then more glasses of milk, no more raisins. The

voices are getting together and it's just wonderful and you start weaving a

basket that is more women than net. So in the down low here and there I hear

from people that need help or um and then I get in contact with them. And what

do you need? And and give my phone number and sometimes they reach out and

sometimes they don't. This woman was in transitional housing. She did in her

time and it was time for her to move out. And this organization was not very

friendly for her to stay through the pandemic. So in the middle of it uh they

ship her half across the 00:27:00country because she said she had a friend in Las Vegas.

And they just bought her her stuff and sent her with their children. And and it

was not that big of a friend. And she worked to get her tickets and move back

and she showed up one day. Like literally she was like "What are you doing?" I'm

like "I'm watching TV." "Can you come out to the porch?" [laugh] And it was with

her with her three children. So you hit the ground running [snapping] and start

making phone calls and uh I immediately pull my children in the back of my

house, you know, and I allow them to obviously to use the bathroom. I got food

out blah, blah, blah. But we were here on the porch. I turn on my truck, turn

the heat on and and "come in here. We'll figure out. I'll take you somewhere."

And, you know, the friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend could

put them in a hotel for a certain time. So 00:28:00we did that and then another

organization will say "we can help them" and you know... So for me that's

Radford in a nutshell and has been.

Jessica: That that's wonderful. When you were transitioning from McCoy to

Radford um when was that in relation to the pandemic?

Jae: That was way back.

Jessica: Oh

Jae: I mean, that was 2015.

Jessica: Oh

Jae: So it has been several years where I have built that network.

Jessica: Okay. Okay. Um since the pandemic started, how have what resources were

available before the pandemic that are harder for um you said foreigners to not

access anymore? Like what was available before that's harder to get to for

people that aren't from the US?

Jae: Well start starting when you don't have a Social Security number, you you

don't get anything. 00:29:00I mean uh that's an easy myth to bust. I mean just go to

Social Services uh Office, sit down, and say "I need food stamps, blah, blah,

blah, blah. I don't have a Social Security number" and you will get nothing. So

that hasn't changed, but what changed was that um grants that were given to

certain organizations or churches for food for um um like money, financial help

to help cover rent, bills, whatever. It was not clearly said to them that they

were not going to get those grants. But they were there were the language of

the, you know, of the the criteria you need to meet uh to get those grants was

it had several veiled 00:30:00threats. I would not [inaudible] I didn't have any access

to any of those services because thankfully, I have a very um um I haven't

needed it. But I know while trying to help others or look for others how the

hostility of the administration towards foreigners has definitely cut off

certain organizations could've certain services or just have them under veiled

threats. So many churches that were more giving and open. The word "foreigner"

has definitely they have definitely polarized and stop help altogether um. I

don't know. And I guess because people feel that pol-pol-polarization, 00:31:00immigrants then they stop asking for help. So then people saying "oh, there's

nobody else to help," so those resources get channeled somewhere else. So I

didn't experience that because I'm I have been used to not getting access to

anything. So I've tried to build a self-sufficient life. But I have helped. I

have to have access for somebody else. I have seen people that have had access,

then have lost it. So um the pandemic definitely made it a whole lot worse.

Jessica: Yeah, absolutely. um and going back to when you were ill in March,

Jae: Mhm

Jessica: How did that affect your like employment or just ability to do your job?

Jae: Well, I'm an artist. So first of all, you know, if I don't paint we don't

eat. [laugh] 00:32:00And also I do translations and transcriptions. So while I was sick,

it was out of the question. I mean it was there is no. I cannot even put it into

words. I mean you know when you uh get the wind knocked out of you? That's how I

was operating twenty-four seven when I was okay. Then from that being the ten,

the best I was going to be, and add the cough, they relentless cough and chest

pain and then the rest of the symptoms that come with a lot of pain or whatever.

So it was not, no. There was no way I was going to get anything done. And then

when I got healthier, jobs run run dry because I subcontract for a friend who

works for the court and legal system in DC. 00:33:00Everything shut down. So there were

no documents to translate. There were no police interviews to transcribe. There

was no nothing. And on the craft shows, there was no craft shows. Everything

shut down and uh that was a big hit because I had already paid deposits and a

lot of the places they didn't give deposits back. So um yeah. Things were scary

[chuckle] at that moment and um thankfully I had built up a pantry. I had always

buy ahead you know tricks and trade from the low-income family, you now? So I

had clothes I have bought on clearance the last the last year. So we had summer

clothes. uh I had my all pantry built that had cases of water, cases of hand 00:34:00sanitizer. I like toilet paper, everything. So we were going to be okay. And I

usually try to build several months of bills. I had like I don't use heat during

the winter, but I pay fifty bucks to add months, every month, every month. So I

have that. I have like six hundred dollars on credit. So when I didn't have much

money, I asked for my check for refund [laugh] and I did the same thing with

Radford City So I got like a three hundred dollar refund. And uh it was really a

lifesaver and I they didn't even think about it. But a woman from admin called

me and asked me because a lot of her clients were doing that. They had credits

ahead and they were asking for it for their checks. So whoof. That saved me for

two 00:35:00months. [laugh] And and I started having more commissions again then slowly

jobs started trickling in here and there. And then it became of "okay, I'm going

to pay electricity. I'm still good on on, on, on the internet for the next

month. So I want to save a little bit for that." So it has been a game of I dig

a hole here and I put it in this hole and then I'm going to dig another hole and

I'm going to cover the first one and I just I just uh hope it doesn't catch up

with me, you know? So...

Jessica: Absolutely

Jae: That's how resources have been.

Jessica: Wow [sigh] [laugh] Um one thing that I was I was wondering too is you

had mentioned politics and like your family's response to politics and how you

are talking about it with your kids.

Jae: Yeah.

Jessica: Um can can you talk more about how the the political scene, either in

Radford or just 00:36:00generally, has impacted your experience of COVID over the last year?

Jae: Oh it has been in every single way. I mean it started this was the perfect

storm that was brewing pre-pandemic. Wh the fact that we had a hard stance on

non facts on made some rainbows and Lucky Charms. Uh set the scene for what the

pandemic was to become. So um we already have somebody that had very low

self-esteem and needed to be reassured constantly and be the best. So he kept

turning facts and everything to his needs and his followers. So everything that

was presented science, fact based, um anything, which obviously did not match

his agenda, 00:37:00his own words... Since that administration began, automatically put

us at a disadvantage. So it quickly began into "oh. This is the dumbs who are

believing in this virus that doesn't even exist." So we started with that

rhetoric. It was already like it's this peoples' virus and it doesn't exist. And

uh so we already started in a disadvantage. We already have started in political

climate where the norm is not to look for facts. So a lot of the population

including in Radford, some of them they're just they just laugh it up. What was

given to them. [inaudible] Anything new or will choose not to believe that, you

know? It's like, well, it's not about 00:38:00facts and you know, your choice and your

opinions you're very afraid to make those. But that that's very different know

what ours. I had those conversations with my kids. "Why is that person or

wearing a mask?" And my best answer was like "they just haven't had the best

education baby." Uh, "why those kids not wearing masks?" "Because their parents

don't know know better baby." "Well, why can we tell their parents?" "Because

some people don't choose not to learn." And um it has been that part has been

very hard. It has been very hard to explain to children why some humans don't

care for others, period. So I think that's I I have to make a point of buying

more stuff for the food food pantry, buying uh extra clothes and dropping them

off at 00:39:00the shelter, getting paper towels and toilet paper and leaving it at the

end of the driveway with a sign of "free." I mean I have tried to give control

to my children in everything that seems to be out of control. I have tried to

give them um hope and a sense of yep, life sometimes there's going to be suck

and sometimes people are going to be ugly. But we have the same choices. And

when we can, we, it's very easy to give up. But once you've done the right

thing, you always want to find somebody else who's going to do the right thing.

And then you're going to find somebody else is gonna. And they might not be in

the hundreds, but one is enough. It'll have one body that is doing the right

thing with you. Then the world is going to seem less scary, less cold, and less

crazy. So we started making kits 00:40:00and we started dropping off little, I don't

know, toilet paper, toiletries in people's porch. Strangers. So we got a kick

out of parking in somebody's driveway and run! And then we all run, drop off a

basket, and run back and and and um it was very it was completely wonderful to

see Black Lives Matters signs and stuff like that that we were able to see. So

my children felt felt their allies, even though they didn't know these people,

they knew they were there. So that's how we have navigated politics and we have

had to cut off people. We have, but very few, very, very few. I've had

thankfully, friends, who come visit with their children. We stay in the porch,

they say in the driveway. And we play charade, we we we blow bubbles, we throw

each other, packed 00:41:00snacks. And when the kids ask questions and they asked

questions the same questions to my friends. They give the same answers that I

do. So and we watch Dr. Fauci and we watch other other doctors that when other

reputable and their assigns. They we watch Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse. I don't know

Callie has been following a lot Malala Josephy. Um and then we we've everything

that was out of my control, I try to empower my children back with facts, with

science with kindness with love as much as I could. Uh we're trying to we make

cards for the triage people, the people that are shut in, and the elderly in

Radford. The 00:42:00sheriff department calls them every day. So we make cards for them.

We did it for Christmas. And the sheriff department bought bicycles to my

children for that. And and so it's little things that how would try to navigate.

We celebrated hardcore when we got the election results for Inauguration Day. I

mean we were blasting the house with music and we have balloons we had like a

Fourth of July feast, dancing, confetti, and tears. And so, yeah, that's how we

navigated politics [laugh] during the pandemic. [laugh]

Jessica: Oh wow, that's amazing. [laugh] How do you and your family feel about

the vaccine coming?

Jae: We are a mix of terrified. and super excited. Terrified because it's a fact

there's not a lot of science behind it. There's not a lot of time behind 00:43:00it. So

just by as as a science-based family, we know that this process is not fast. So

that makes us nervous. But after the outcome that we have seen of what COVID

does um we're all for the vaccine and for what they have seen with me. And also

we have lost people to COVID. And we have people with COVID that had no

symptoms. Uh we have people that had mild COVID and other people, you know, all

the ranges and colors. And and and so we talked about it and we all shared our

fears. And I think when I'm allowed to share my fear, ah some people think that

you're not allowed to show fear to children because you scare them. But I think

what children get afraid of is 00:44:00when they don't know they can trust you because

you sugarcoat everything. So when something the real truth pokes out, then it's

like "ah what is this? This is not what you have been telling me." So children

need dosages of reality to their own age. So um I was honest, and I'm scared for

these reasons. But I'm more afraid of not having them. I'm more afraid to what

this will keep doing to our country and to our communities if we don't have it.

So we're scared, but excited and we will get it as soon as we can and we are

able to.

Jessica: Um do you um still keep in touch with your family abroad?

Jae: I don't have a lot of family. I have family of choice. So I do have a lot

of 00:45:00friends all over the world. And we have seen how COVID has ravaged or not

other countries.

Jessica: Okay. Um how are you keeping in touch with family abroad and then or

friends, family of choice abroad? And how are you... How has that changed since

COVID started?

Jae: I'm keeping in contact via WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook. Um we use mail

because my kids love the mailman and love to write. So we do send cards. We send

letter the old-fashioned way and we also support our local post office. So we're

trying to be more purposeful and sending letters these days. So um that way. And

what was the other part of the question aside from how...

Jessica: Oh, just 00:46:00how it's changed since COVID started?

Jae: Hm not much, since I've gone through the process of not having a Social

Security number to a green card. I was not able to um travel. Otherwise I will

not going to be allowed back in the country. But it also has it does have

changed, I don't know, this matters or not the quality of the communication

because there's obviously more anxiety. There is obviously sadness. When we have

lost people. There's obviously some anger and shame. Like I'm go through a lot

of embarrassment because we're in the USA. And I have plenty of friends that the

only thing They say to me is like what the fuck me [laugh] bleep me out. Bleep

me out. But that's and that has been really sobering. I mean, I I'm not going to

lie to you. I mean 00:47:00there there's has been times I don't even want to talk with

anyone because it's embarrassing. It's like a freaking embarrassment and I just

cannot take more questions, more probing question like "is this really how it

is? Is this is hap-?" Like sometimes I'm not in the mood for that [laugh] you

know? And it has been especially hard when your own country's crumbling and

imploding, having to stick up with it. And I'm not even an American. So it's

like, [sigh] I'm getting it for from every side and I'm not even an American

[laugh] And so I think the quality of the conversation has definitely degraded

in in that sense. Like I'm more reserved because I don't want to be like

pommeled sometimes.

Jessica: What are people most like fascinated by when it comes to your

experience with it? You 00:48:00know, if they're not in the United States currently?

What are they like "wow, that's insane?"

Jae: I don't think fascinated is the word.

Jessica: Okay.

Jae: I think it's disgusted by the majority, the consensus of it is that way. I

mean, obviously, they're my friends. They think I'm an amazing person and an

amazing mom. But when it comes globally, you just have disgusted. It's like

"run. Run then show your green card. Just have your Ameri- your Mexican passport

and just come with your Mexican kids. Do they have the dual citizenship yet?"

And it's like "no." "Darn it." Um I have friends that have invited me to come

see them like in Europe and they were already has told me come with your Mexican

passport. So it hasn't been fascinating.

Jessica: Okay. Fair enough. [laugh] I just wondered if there was something like

if it was about 00:49:00maybe like Trump or if it was about people not taking safety

precautions that they're disgusted by?

Jae: It's like one thing.

Jessica: Okay.

Jae: I manage the same you'd like the same dumpster fire. There is no, there I

hadn't really noticed that my friends or family have um made up the friends

about it is just like Trump, people in cages, uh cops murdering people. It's

just like one lump of dumpster fire just in it.

Jessica: Yeah. Um so one other question was about like since you had your

initial experience with with probably COVID in March, um how has your access to

healthcare been? Either for you or your kids?

Jae: It's actually improved. Because um not the mm- the me- not 00:50:00the billing

part, the billing part has been atrocious. But because now I'm Green Card and I

my got my status through protect. I have a protected status basically because of

the uh the domestic violence and because I was married to a citizen. So um I

have protected status, so I do not get free Medicare, but I have access to buy

insurance. When you're a foreigner, you cannot buy insurance unless your

sponsored by your company and your company chooses to pay for your insurance,

you don't have access to insurance. So even if I had three million dollars and I

wanted to buy my policy, I had I had no access to buy that. So now I do. So that

has made it like "Oh, this is hurting. I 00:51:00can go to the doctor." I don't have to

Google how to pull out my elbow without pain. [laugh] So it has definitely

improved. Definitely improved.

Jessica: Awesome. That's great. [laugh]

Jae: Yeah. People will complain about going to a doctor and I'm just like "Yes,

yes! I have an appointment next week. Who has a doctor? And you have a doctor

and you have a doctor," You know? [laughter]

Jessica: Um that was um most I think we really covered a lot of it. All of these

questions here. Um and are you yourself pursuing education or anything like that

right now?

Jae: [inaudible] Because I'm gonna have when I graduated high school. I had

already [inaudible] So the the trick here is [inaudible] you have your 00:52:00 high

school credits. You don't graduate. It's a shit show. Bleep me out for the

colorful language. Um but I will say [inaudible] and [inaudible] nothing

[inaudible] I mean if you think that American bureaucracy is horrible. Oh, you

have no idea what is. Mexican bureaucracy Okay. Say you need to be forty dollars

and tomorrow is like now. But what happened with the one hundred and ten dollars

for this? And and oh you can't. You need to have a family member or a friend

come. Then 00:53:00you knew that in but the attorney [inaudible] dean here. So with all

of that, I decided to do my GED. Like I'm not bother with it anymore. And ah I'm

in the process of doing that and I don't know you have ever heard of Coursera? I

do about one or two courses a year and I have never get a certificate because I

don't know I'm phobic of commitment or something. But this year I I did it. I'm

doing two things in Coursera right now and I'm getting the certificate. So yeah,

I guess I am.

Jessica: That's amazing. Has COVID affected that at all?

Jae: Well, yeah, I spend more time at home, so I do better. [laugh]

Jessica: Fair enough. All right. [laugh] um Well, those are 00:54:00those are all my

questions. Is there anything that you wanted to share about your experiences

that we haven't covered yet?

Jae: No. I think I've talked your ear off.

Jessica: No. Don't worry. All right. Well, thank you so much, Ms. De la Mora and

I will send you a copy of this if you'd like to have it. Um and yeah, this was wonderful.